UWS women win, remain tied for 1st

A magical season continues for the University of Wisconsin-Superior women’s basketball team, which defeated the UW-Eau Claire Blugolds 56-53 Wednesday night before a crowd of 614 on Ken Anderson Court in Zorn Arena in Eau Claire.

With the win the Yellowjackets improve to 16-3 overall and 8-2 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, which is good for a first-place tie with UW-Whitewater (14-5, 8-2) and a half game ahead of UW-Oshkosh (15-3, 7-2).

The victory adds to UWS’s single-season school-record win total and follows the ’Jackets first ever ranking in this week’s D3hoops.com Top 25 poll, checking in at No. 25.

UWS also defeated UWEC 73-65 on Dec. 12 in Superior, giving the Yellowjackets their first season sweep of the Blugolds since the 1986-87 season.

Kristen Nett scored 14 points, Deandra Vavra added 13 and Carmen Watson pitched in with 11 for the Yellowjackets, who held the Blugolds (9-10, 4-6) to 36.7 percent shooting (18-for-49), including just 23.8 percent from 3-point range.

Courtney Lewis led Eau Claire with a game-high 20 points. Leah Rempert added 14 points.

The Yellowjackets, who opened up an 8-0 lead at the start of Wednesday’s game, also led 10-2 and 21-12 before getting a 3-pointer from Nett and an offensive rebound and layup from Allysa Lindberg for a 30-19 halftime lead.

The Yellowjackets added to their lead early in the second half when back-to-back 3-pointers from Nett made the score 36-21 with 16:54 remaining.

UWS maintained a double-digit edge for the next 8:51, taking a 44-33 lead following a free throw by Sally Linzmeier with 8:03 left.

The Blugolds steadily climbed back with a 21-8 run that cut the deficit to 49-47 at the 2:27 mark, and then tied the game at 51-51 with 1:08 left. During the stretch, Lewis scored 14 of Eau Claire’s 21 points.

The Yellowjackets took the lead for good on the next possession as Vavra scored on a layup with 35 seconds left, and two free throws from Urmanski and another one by Lindberg upped the margin to 56-51 with eight seconds left.

The Blugolds cut the lead to 56-53, but two last-second 3-point attempts fell short.

UWS is at UW-Stevens Point at 5 p.m. Saturday.

’JACKET JOTTINGS: Urmanski is fourth in games played with 95. She is also sixth on the all-time scoring list with 1,071 points. With seven more points she will move into the top five all-time. … Hillary Peterson is No. 3 all-time with 56 blocked shots.

UW-Superior (16-3, 8-2 WIAC)

Nett, Kristen 5-12 0-0 14; Vavra, Deandra 6-10 0-1 13; Watson, Carmen 5-6 1-1 11; Peterson, Hillary 4-5 0-0 8; Urmanski, Connie 1-6 2-2 4; Sally Linzmeier 1-9 1-2 3; Lindberg, Allyssa 1-3 1-2 3; McDonald, Kailee 0-2 0-0 0; Kennedy, Grace 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 23-55 5-8 56.

UW-Superior 30-26—56

UW-Eau Claire 19-34—53

3-point goals—UWS 5-15 (Nett, 4-7; Vavra, 1-3; Urmanski, 0-2; Linzmeier 0-1; Lindberg, 0-1; McDonald, 0-1. Fouled out—None. Rebounds—UWS 37 (Linzmeier 7), UWEC 32. Assists—UWS 10 (Vavra, 5), UWEC 11. Total fouls—UWS 16, UWEC 11. Technical fouls—None. A-614.

D3hoops.com women’s Top 25

Through games of Sunday

Rec Pts LW

1. DePauw (23) 17-0 623 1

2. Calvin (2) 15-1 598 2

3. Hope 16-1 538 3

4. Amherst 17-0 528 4

5. Messiah 16-1 500 5

6. Tufts 18-0 486 6

7. Washington U. 14-2 442 7

8. Ohio Northern 16-1 441 8

9. Lewis and Clark 16-1 419 9

10. Thomas More 16-1 411 10

11. Montclair State 18-0 407 11

12. St. Thomas 13-2 346 12

13. Southern Maine 17-0 335 13

14. Simpson 15-1 331 14

15. UW-Stevens Point 15-3 262 15

16. Lebanon Valley 15-2 205 17

17. Catholic 16-1 180 18

18. George Fox 14-3 160 23

19. Louisiana College 16-1 124 —

20. Ferrum 14-1 116 21

21. Cornell 15-1 104 19

22. Williams 15-2 101 —

23. Mount Union 14-3 85 25

24. Babson 15-2 60 20

25. UW-Superior 16-3 58 —

Others receiving votes: Moravian 48; FDU-Florham 46; Carthage 37; Christopher Newport 35; Maryville (Tenn.) 17; New Paltz State 13; Emory 12; UW-Oshkosh 11; Rochester 11; Baruch 10; Whitman 7; Rhodes 6; UW-Whitewater 5; Howard Payne 2; St. Norbert 2; Wis. Luth.1; Swarthmore 1; Otterbein 1.

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